Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
I have definitely noticed good and bad patterns emerging. I feel as if some of the patterns are my own and some are from my CT. Some good patterns are:
Recording agenda/homework, 'What Now?', and Question of the Day on the board.
Attempting to be consistent when grading short answer/extended response questions [i.e. having key words I'm looking for in the answer]
Better at transitioning and keeping the 'flow' going
Sense of humor shining through
Some things I feel like I still need to work on are:
Classroom management-->consistent discipline/rules for all
Creating higher level test questions
Wrapping up the lesson effectively
I am satisfied with the teaching I've completed thus far and am nervous but excited to move forward to the high school. It's good to be comfortable at the middle school but it'll also be great to have another challenge. It is very easy to play into the 'game of school' while at school because of the students and other faculty. I have been trying to read articles, videos etc to keep my focus off of that and stay positive. Classroom management is one thing I know I want to work on greatly before student teaching is over. I want to have a positive relationship with the students where they respect me and vice versa but we are able to learn in a relaxed environment. I know they say don't smile until Christmas but we only have 7 weeks so I want them to know what I'm all about and have a great time and learn lots. I also want to develop my skills with creating/enacting higher level thinking test questions/in-class activities. It's great and easy to find fun activities where the students will be bored but somewhat get the point. I want them to have 'fun' and be engaged and for the motivation to be 'why is this happening?--I want to know more!'.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Self-Reflection
Has it been 7 weeks so far? Before stepping foot into the school, I had some anxiety about the student teaching experience based on feedback from a previous years class in combination with feedback from those who have graduated from this program. "It is stress-ful, students can be brutal, you will not have time for anything else, you will absolutely need February Vacation when it hits, etc, etc, etc". I am sure you get the point...........
I can honestly say that all though student teaching is challenging in regards to time management, it is an enjoyable experience over all. I feel as though teaching comes very naturally to me. I do not feel like this is the first 7 weeks I have ever taught but more so, like I have been doing it throught out my career.
This by all means, should not translate as to I am "at the top of my game" each day. There is a balanced mix of good days and bad days.
The good days equate students being fully engaged, interuptions are kept at a minimum, the interest level and class discussion/engagement is high, the level of comprehension and application from a class is above my level of expectation for a new topic. My lesson appears seamless. I have announced the agenda, objectives and homework as well as added it to the board (this is done every day). I have no trouble providing students with examples that help explain or demonstrate a concept we just learned about. A good day is when after a test, students tell me that it was more difficult than expected but it was 100% fair. A good day is when my CT tells me that he couldn't find one thing that he would change to improve the lesson. Most of all, a good day is when I walk out of the school feeling accomplished and happy that I have made a difference in the slightest, possible way.
A bad day may resemble a fire drill mid lab, a student throwing up on their classmates, students appearing lathargic and unmotivated, a student caught rolling her eyes at me, a student shooting his mouth off with sarcastic remarks as he sees fit until I give it right back and a series of questions that I am not capable of answering on the spot. A bad day is a misconstrued email from a parent regarding the planned curricula. A bad day is when I noticed a spelling error or duplicated questions on a lab and there have already been 100 copies made. A bad day is any day that I leave the building, thinking to myself "Could there be anything else that will add to this horrific day"
The great thing about this experience is that you will always have the opportunity to try something and if it doesnt work, correct it before having to do it for the 2nd time. The job is full of lifesavors (prep periods, white out, smart boards, practice, ct advise, etc). The key is when you have a bad day, go home, debrief, take a deep breath and I do not let it affect my game for the next day.
I have learned that I am good at:
1. Classroom Management
2. Creating Activities outside of the box
3. Creating a unit assessment from scratch
4. Using my body language, voice, pitch and questioning to keep students engaged
5. Utilizing familiar examples that students can make connections with in order to better understand a topic
6. Incorporating the use of other content areas (English, History, Language and Math) when possible
7. Learning to identify, adjust, revise lessons before the 2nd try
8. I am learning how to incorporate my personality into each day now that the stigmas of the "New Student" teacher has been broken down.
What I need to improve:
1. Slowing down the pace. It is okay to go into the next day for a lesson. I was so concerned about accomplishing 3 activities in a 90 minute block that I rushed through concepts or activites with out a time for reflection or discussion just so I can keep my lesson plan book happy.............RUSHING = NOT LEARNING= BAD GRADES= PISSED OFF STUDENTS
I take my time now. I ask more quetsions, I have class discussions. I need to continue working on this.
2. Content Content Content. I need to truly educate myself on my content area through different sources, news articles, scientific journals...Honors students think they know all. I find myself in front of the classroom (secretly getting flustered) if a questions that I do not know is presented. I have learned to admit "I dont know, its a good question I will get back to you" or "Does anyone want to contribute a piece of knowledge to that" or I can have the student look it up and share with us the net morning.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
I can still see myself as a work in progress, and I know I will eventually be the teacher I wanted to be, but I will have to work toward that. I have found that there are a lot more road blocks to doing all of the kinds of things I would like to include in my classroom, mainly the fact that I generally have much less time to work on specific topics than I would like. I started off wanting to be a teacher who makes learning fun for students, something they look forward to, but it's definitely not as easy to do that as I thought.
I've found that it's hard to get students engaged enough to enjoy the lesson in progress and I feel that as a teacher finding ways to engage my students further is one of the key things I find myself wanting to improve. I find that once I have my students engaged it's not a big stretch to get them enjoying what's going on in class.
I think I've become good at finding different and interesting ways to get material across to students so that the learning process is student centered and more interactive. I feel that students will learn a lot more if they are the ones discovering the information instead of having it told to them. I feel that is one of my stronger points as a teacher.
I also feel I need to improve in my lesson planning, I have gotten really comfortable finding ways to open up lessons and get into activities, but I think I need to work on ways to tie up loose ends and close lessons more effectively.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
I can honestly say that my time here at NKHS has been an excellent experience. I can credit my CT and my students for these feelings. I feel that since I first stepped foot into the high school I have grown both as an educator and as a person. I have a new found respect for teachers and the steps they take in order to reach all of their students. The amount of effort, work and time that goes into each lesson plan is something that I came to realize and appreciate and I was extremely lucky to have a CT who was willing to constantly work with me to make me a better teacher.
Routines have absolutely emerged in my classroom since I began. Upon starting I did not put objectives on the board, I did not have an outline of the lesson for students to follow, nor did I write the HW on the board! Now that I know about these strategies (that not only helped my students but MYSELF as well) it almost seems stupid to me that I didn't do it from day 1!!!!
Some things that I believe I am doing well are relating information to students and taking the time to help students "catch up" or understand information better. I am also diversifying my lesson plans to meet a number of different visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. By diversifying my lesson plans I not only have more types of activities but I also have a wider range of things to do with my students (that they all seem to enjoy). For example today we used playdough to represent chromosomes and Crossing Over. One last thing that I believe I am doing well is my organization. I have a binder filled with all of the worksheets, tests, activities, etc. that I have given to my students IN ORDER of chapter. I also keep very good tabs on who is doing their HW and who needs to make up work (tests, labs) for me. Evidence in my success I believe are good test grades, students willingness to participate in my class, and daily informal assessments that I make while class is taking place.
I am determined to change a couple things about my teaching. I find myself being thrown off some of the time by students who are talking/not paying attention while i'm teaching. I take 2 seconds to say their name and tell them to stop talking and then I lose my train of thought. I want to implement a more strategic way of stopping my students from talking while not breaking from the lesson. Another is how I speak to my students, I find myself using the same words after each sentence (ie - Right? Understand? Yes/No?) and this is not the most professional way to ask students questions. I would like to learn a new way to see if my students understand what I'm saying without having to ask them.
PROMPT: Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Student Teaching Reflection - Mid-semester (End of Middle School Placement)
As I reflect on my student teaching experiences so far, the shy insecure teacher seems to have dissipated and a new teacher now stands in front of the class. I am more confident with my students merely for the fact that I know them much better. I understand some of their likes, dislikes, and what teaching methods work best and what teaching methods do not work with them. Also, finally knowing all of their names is helpful too! Things that I have learned from my student teaching so far are as follows:
Organization is critical to sanity.
Practicing your lessons and labs is important.
You can never be too prepared.
Always take 5 minutes per day to reflect on what work well and what didn't.
It is important to find a way to decompress. Find a happy place.
Learn to laugh at yourself is a critical skill.
You will make mistakes and that's ok, but it is important to learn from them.
I feel that my students are getting most of what I am teaching them. Not only am I teaching them science, but organizational skills, study skills and responsibility. Things that I think I am doing well are giving the students some form of formative assessment each class and interacting with the students in an easy going, but professional manner. I feel that a lot of students are playing the game of school. Some students rarely give me any effort unless they know they will receive a grade for their work. One way that I could attempt to fix this is to make some sort of connection with what we are learning to their lives. The lessons that I did this, seemed to be much more engaging for the students. I know that every lesson I teach will not be picture perfect, but at least I know that their is a standard of success that I should be reaching for. I know that I am far from being the perfect teacher that I envisioned myself to be, but student teaching is just that, student teachers making imperfect decisions and learning from their mistakes.
In one week, I will start the whole process over at my high school placement. It will be much different because the school itself is much bigger. In the beginning I expect the same adjustment period of getting to know the students and what works for them. I think the adjustment time will be shorter, since I feel somewhat more confident about my teaching after actually having the experience in front of the class. Things that I might do differently would be to make more real world connections, become better organized, assign less paperwork (yet still have some form of formative assessment each class), and try to do more hands on activities.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
I can honestly say that I will really miss my students and the faculty at Cole when I leave this week. This experience has been excellent, I wouldn't change a thing!! I feel that I have learned some invaluable lessons at Cole, that have helped to shape me as a teacher so far. I feel like I have come a long way, yet, still have sooo many things that I could improve on. I am hopeful that constantly making improvements, to my teaching, throughout my career will help to prevent the "game of school" from taking over my classroom, now and in the future. I was shocked that by seventh grade many of my students had already mastered the game of school, and I made it my personal mission to make so that their game was inturrupted during my time in front of the classroom. My CT was also a master of disruppting the game of school, and one of the many things I enjoyed about our classroom activities was that we often worked backwards. I enjoyed giving the students a simple activity and watching as their eyes got wider and the gaps in knowledge appeared, ready for me to fill.
Things I feel confident in....
1. My style of teaching is very relaxed and personal. I can't help but be enthusiastic and bubbly when talking about science! My style appeared as Miss Frizzle-esque (Miss Frizzle of the Magic School Bus that is :) )
2. I was often able to pick up on things that were not being understood, and either backtrack or design another activity to supplement.
3. Formatting! My CT, as I've said, is the formatting queen. I was also able to meet with a reading specialist, who gave me great tips on how I could format my worksheet, and assessments so that even student with a below grade, reading level could decipher instructions, and questions. I have now begun to rework assignments and worksheets I designed earlier this year for my H.S. unit plan because...the formatting stinks :)
4. Developing meaningful activities, and tricks to remember information by.
5. Content! I love science for sure...It was hard to know where to stop filling my 7th graders with information because once we hit the biology unit I was so excited!
Areas to be improved....
1. Classroom Management. Once the 7th graders realized that my CT was no longer going to be in the room they decided they would push boundries as far as they could...they tested me. I ran through several classroom management techniques to see what would work, and eventually I found one that was awesome...but there is always room for improvement.
2. Some content...such as astronomy, and physics could use a bit of help.
3. Giving in sooo easily...I tend to bend and give to my students perhaps a bit more than I should. I don't have a hard ball side (when appropriate) to me that I might have to develop a bit more.
ost of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
When I began teaching, I had a vision of the teacher I wanted to be. I envisioned being consistent and fair, fun but strict, inspiring, and much more. Looking at myself now, I see that I have become that teacher for the most part. I have realized that I could be more consistent in my classroom. I feel that I have had trouble because I started late in the year with my class, and i never had a chance to address my expectations as a teacher to my students. I have also had trouble because my cooperating teacher...undermines me, but interrupting and taking my class over when she wants things done her way. So I have not always had the chance to be consistent with my classroom management. So I do feel that I need to work on that. Hopefully I will be able to more with my high school students. I feel that I am very good with engaging my students and providing a fun and comfortable atmosphere for my students. Even though there are fun time, students know that there are times to be serious, and there will be consequences if they do not behave appropriately.I feel that I am actually teaching these kids and giving them "ah-ha!" moments of understanding. /i have seen IEP students that normally do not get abstract concepts actually understand the concepts that I am trying to get across to them, and students that usually get c's and d's, get b's and sometimes a's. I feel that if I fix my classroom management, or work on it, I will be where I want to be in my teaching.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
So far, I have greatly enjoyed my experience student teaching. I feel like I learn so much everyday. The first week I felt like I was from another country, and spoke another language, being thrown into an emersion classroom. After the first week, I had already learned so much, and had improved greatly. I am satisfied with the teacher I am becoming and I avoid getting immersed in the "game of school" at all costs. When I was in high school, I played that game well, so now it is easy for me to spot students that are doing the same. Although I am satisfied with the teacher I am right now, I know I can improved, learn more, and be better. Everyday I learn something new. Whether it's how to handle a certain situation, a classroom management technique, or how to conduct a new type of activity; I am continually trying new things.
Immediately after I do a lesson, my CTs have me write down what went well, and what could be improved. Then, if I can, I improve them right away. For example, I realized I could have set a worksheet/activity more efficently, so I went back and revised and saved it right then, that way I would have it for next time. This skill is something that helps me improve.
I feel that I need to work on classroom management. I am confortable with content, how I teach the material, and with what the students are learning. I feel that I am improving on my classroom management, but I know I can do better. I also feel that having great classroom management skills is something that comes with time and experience.
As this semester is at its midpoint, I do see the teacher that I started out wanting to be. I wanted to be a teacher that is able to make a connection with his students. I would also like to foster a mutual respect with the students without necessarily wanting to be their friend. I feeling that I am able to create a level of enthusiasm for science that echoes my interest.
I am very satisfied that I am finally teaching. I hope that I can continue this enthusiasm for many years to come (until I retire). I hope that is not just wishful thinking.
Some of the areas in which I feel I am excelling include opening the lecture, incorporating analogies that relate to my instruction, and fostering a environment that values mutual respect. I think that all these points have one thing in common, keep the student perspective in mind. I see the students as young adults, not out of control teenagers. It is my perspective that allows me to treat them with respect and actively think about them as I create my daily plans for instruction.
An area of improvement includes controlling student behavior. I feel that if I stop my instruction just to start the overhead projector, the students will take this opportunity to talk. Once this happens, I need to waste time trying to refocus their attention back to my instruction. I am trying to find different strategies that will prevent these situations as well as better deal with these situations if they appear. I am talking to my CT, as well as other teachers from other disciplines regarding how to control student behavior.
I am definitely getting more comfortable teaching everyday and see myself becoming a better teacher on a day to day basis. I am concerned that I am being to lenient with the students; by this I mean that I am getting late work on lab reports and projects and may not be reinforcing the fact that the assignments have to be on time, so I might need to have more consequences for late work. I feel that I am explaining the topics well but I may not be doing as many examples as I should, that was the one suggestion my students gave me; to do more examples. I am seeing through questioning and walking around during group work that many of the students are understanding the topics. I am determined to do more examples which will help the struggling students and also to make it clear to my students that late work is unacceptable.
I have definitely noticed good and bad patterns emerging. I feel as if some of the patterns are my own and some are from my CT. Some good patterns are:
Some things I feel like I still need to work on are:
I am satisfied with the teaching I've completed thus far and am nervous but excited to move forward to the high school. It's good to be comfortable at the middle school but it'll also be great to have another challenge. It is very easy to play into the 'game of school' while at school because of the students and other faculty. I have been trying to read articles, videos etc to keep my focus off of that and stay positive. Classroom management is one thing I know I want to work on greatly before student teaching is over. I want to have a positive relationship with the students where they respect me and vice versa but we are able to learn in a relaxed environment. I know they say don't smile until Christmas but we only have 7 weeks so I want them to know what I'm all about and have a great time and learn lots. I also want to develop my skills with creating/enacting higher level thinking test questions/in-class activities. It's great and easy to find fun activities where the students will be bored but somewhat get the point. I want them to have 'fun' and be engaged and for the motivation to be 'why is this happening?--I want to know more!'.
Most of you have been teaching for several weeks. Patterns are probably beginning to emerge and classroom routines are probably making you feel more comfortable than you were when you started. Can you still see the teacher that you started this semester wanting to be? Are you satisfied that you're actually teaching or are you concerned that you may be getting immersed in playing the "game of school?" Assess your teaching so far. What are you doing well, and what do you know you need to work on? What evidence are you seeing for both your successes and difficulties? What are you determined to change and why?
Self-Reflection
Has it been 7 weeks so far? Before stepping foot into the school, I had some anxiety about the student teaching experience based on feedback from a previous years class in combination with feedback from those who have graduated from this program. "It is stress-ful, students can be brutal, you will not have time for anything else, you will absolutely need February Vacation when it hits, etc, etc, etc". I am sure you get the point...........
I can honestly say that all though student teaching is challenging in regards to time management, it is an enjoyable experience over all. I feel as though teaching comes very naturally to me. I do not feel like this is the first 7 weeks I have ever taught but more so, like I have been doing it throught out my career.
This by all means, should not translate as to I am "at the top of my game" each day. There is a balanced mix of good days and bad days.
The good days equate students being fully engaged, interuptions are kept at a minimum, the interest level and class discussion/engagement is high, the level of comprehension and application from a class is above my level of expectation for a new topic. My lesson appears seamless. I have announced the agenda, objectives and homework as well as added it to the board (this is done every day). I have no trouble providing students with examples that help explain or demonstrate a concept we just learned about. A good day is when after a test, students tell me that it was more difficult than expected but it was 100% fair. A good day is when my CT tells me that he couldn't find one thing that he would change to improve the lesson. Most of all, a good day is when I walk out of the school feeling accomplished and happy that I have made a difference in the slightest, possible way.
A bad day may resemble a fire drill mid lab, a student throwing up on their classmates, students appearing lathargic and unmotivated, a student caught rolling her eyes at me, a student shooting his mouth off with sarcastic remarks as he sees fit until I give it right back and a series of questions that I am not capable of answering on the spot. A bad day is a misconstrued email from a parent regarding the planned curricula. A bad day is when I noticed a spelling error or duplicated questions on a lab and there have already been 100 copies made. A bad day is any day that I leave the building, thinking to myself "Could there be anything else that will add to this horrific day"
The great thing about this experience is that you will always have the opportunity to try something and if it doesnt work, correct it before having to do it for the 2nd time. The job is full of lifesavors (prep periods, white out, smart boards, practice, ct advise, etc). The key is when you have a bad day, go home, debrief, take a deep breath and I do not let it affect my game for the next day.
I have learned that I am good at:
1. Classroom Management
2. Creating Activities outside of the box
3. Creating a unit assessment from scratch
4. Using my body language, voice, pitch and questioning to keep students engaged
5. Utilizing familiar examples that students can make connections with in order to better understand a topic
6. Incorporating the use of other content areas (English, History, Language and Math) when possible
7. Learning to identify, adjust, revise lessons before the 2nd try
8. I am learning how to incorporate my personality into each day now that the stigmas of the "New Student" teacher has been broken down.
What I need to improve:
1. Slowing down the pace. It is okay to go into the next day for a lesson. I was so concerned about accomplishing 3 activities in a 90 minute block that I rushed through concepts or activites with out a time for reflection or discussion just so I can keep my lesson plan book happy.............RUSHING = NOT LEARNING= BAD GRADES= PISSED OFF STUDENTS
I take my time now. I ask more quetsions, I have class discussions. I need to continue working on this.
2. Content Content Content. I need to truly educate myself on my content area through different sources, news articles, scientific journals...Honors students think they know all. I find myself in front of the classroom (secretly getting flustered) if a questions that I do not know is presented. I have learned to admit "I dont know, its a good question I will get back to you" or "Does anyone want to contribute a piece of knowledge to that" or I can have the student look it up and share with us the net morning.
Ask me for an update in 7 weeks....More to Come!
I can honestly say that my time here at NKHS has been an excellent experience. I can credit my CT and my students for these feelings. I feel that since I first stepped foot into the high school I have grown both as an educator and as a person. I have a new found respect for teachers and the steps they take in order to reach all of their students. The amount of effort, work and time that goes into each lesson plan is something that I came to realize and appreciate and I was extremely lucky to have a CT who was willing to constantly work with me to make me a better teacher.
Routines have absolutely emerged in my classroom since I began. Upon starting I did not put objectives on the board, I did not have an outline of the lesson for students to follow, nor did I write the HW on the board! Now that I know about these strategies (that not only helped my students but MYSELF as well) it almost seems stupid to me that I didn't do it from day 1!!!!
Some things that I believe I am doing well are relating information to students and taking the time to help students "catch up" or understand information better. I am also diversifying my lesson plans to meet a number of different visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learners. By diversifying my lesson plans I not only have more types of activities but I also have a wider range of things to do with my students (that they all seem to enjoy). For example today we used playdough to represent chromosomes and Crossing Over. One last thing that I believe I am doing well is my organization. I have a binder filled with all of the worksheets, tests, activities, etc. that I have given to my students IN ORDER of chapter. I also keep very good tabs on who is doing their HW and who needs to make up work (tests, labs) for me. Evidence in my success I believe are good test grades, students willingness to participate in my class, and daily informal assessments that I make while class is taking place.
I am determined to change a couple things about my teaching. I find myself being thrown off some of the time by students who are talking/not paying attention while i'm teaching. I take 2 seconds to say their name and tell them to stop talking and then I lose my train of thought. I want to implement a more strategic way of stopping my students from talking while not breaking from the lesson. Another is how I speak to my students, I find myself using the same words after each sentence (ie - Right? Understand? Yes/No?) and this is not the most professional way to ask students questions. I would like to learn a new way to see if my students understand what I'm saying without having to ask them.
Student Teaching Reflection - Mid-semester (End of Middle School Placement)
As I reflect on my student teaching experiences so far, the shy insecure teacher seems to have dissipated and a new teacher now stands in front of the class. I am more confident with my students merely for the fact that I know them much better. I understand some of their likes, dislikes, and what teaching methods work best and what teaching methods do not work with them. Also, finally knowing all of their names is helpful too! Things that I have learned from my student teaching so far are as follows:I feel that my students are getting most of what I am teaching them. Not only am I teaching them science, but organizational skills, study skills and responsibility. Things that I think I am doing well are giving the students some form of formative assessment each class and interacting with the students in an easy going, but professional manner. I feel that a lot of students are playing the game of school. Some students rarely give me any effort unless they know they will receive a grade for their work. One way that I could attempt to fix this is to make some sort of connection with what we are learning to their lives. The lessons that I did this, seemed to be much more engaging for the students. I know that every lesson I teach will not be picture perfect, but at least I know that their is a standard of success that I should be reaching for. I know that I am far from being the perfect teacher that I envisioned myself to be, but student teaching is just that, student teachers making imperfect decisions and learning from their mistakes.
In one week, I will start the whole process over at my high school placement. It will be much different because the school itself is much bigger. In the beginning I expect the same adjustment period of getting to know the students and what works for them. I think the adjustment time will be shorter, since I feel somewhat more confident about my teaching after actually having the experience in front of the class. Things that I might do differently would be to make more real world connections, become better organized, assign less paperwork (yet still have some form of formative assessment each class), and try to do more hands on activities.
I can honestly say that I will really miss my students and the faculty at Cole when I leave this week. This experience has been excellent, I wouldn't change a thing!! I feel that I have learned some invaluable lessons at Cole, that have helped to shape me as a teacher so far. I feel like I have come a long way, yet, still have sooo many things that I could improve on. I am hopeful that constantly making improvements, to my teaching, throughout my career will help to prevent the "game of school" from taking over my classroom, now and in the future. I was shocked that by seventh grade many of my students had already mastered the game of school, and I made it my personal mission to make so that their game was inturrupted during my time in front of the classroom. My CT was also a master of disruppting the game of school, and one of the many things I enjoyed about our classroom activities was that we often worked backwards. I enjoyed giving the students a simple activity and watching as their eyes got wider and the gaps in knowledge appeared, ready for me to fill.
Things I feel confident in....
1. My style of teaching is very relaxed and personal. I can't help but be enthusiastic and bubbly when talking about science! My style appeared as Miss Frizzle-esque (Miss Frizzle of the Magic School Bus that is :) )
2. I was often able to pick up on things that were not being understood, and either backtrack or design another activity to supplement.
3. Formatting! My CT, as I've said, is the formatting queen. I was also able to meet with a reading specialist, who gave me great tips on how I could format my worksheet, and assessments so that even student with a below grade, reading level could decipher instructions, and questions. I have now begun to rework assignments and worksheets I designed earlier this year for my H.S. unit plan because...the formatting stinks :)
4. Developing meaningful activities, and tricks to remember information by.
5. Content! I love science for sure...It was hard to know where to stop filling my 7th graders with information because once we hit the biology unit I was so excited!
Areas to be improved....
1. Classroom Management. Once the 7th graders realized that my CT was no longer going to be in the room they decided they would push boundries as far as they could...they tested me. I ran through several classroom management techniques to see what would work, and eventually I found one that was awesome...but there is always room for improvement.
2. Some content...such as astronomy, and physics could use a bit of help.
3. Giving in sooo easily...I tend to bend and give to my students perhaps a bit more than I should. I don't have a hard ball side (when appropriate) to me that I might have to develop a bit more.
When I began teaching, I had a vision of the teacher I wanted to be. I envisioned being consistent and fair, fun but strict, inspiring, and much more. Looking at myself now, I see that I have become that teacher for the most part. I have realized that I could be more consistent in my classroom. I feel that I have had trouble because I started late in the year with my class, and i never had a chance to address my expectations as a teacher to my students. I have also had trouble because my cooperating teacher...undermines me, but interrupting and taking my class over when she wants things done her way. So I have not always had the chance to be consistent with my classroom management. So I do feel that I need to work on that. Hopefully I will be able to more with my high school students. I feel that I am very good with engaging my students and providing a fun and comfortable atmosphere for my students. Even though there are fun time, students know that there are times to be serious, and there will be consequences if they do not behave appropriately.I feel that I am actually teaching these kids and giving them "ah-ha!" moments of understanding. /i have seen IEP students that normally do not get abstract concepts actually understand the concepts that I am trying to get across to them, and students that usually get c's and d's, get b's and sometimes a's. I feel that if I fix my classroom management, or work on it, I will be where I want to be in my teaching.
So far, I have greatly enjoyed my experience student teaching. I feel like I learn so much everyday. The first week I felt like I was from another country, and spoke another language, being thrown into an emersion classroom. After the first week, I had already learned so much, and had improved greatly. I am satisfied with the teacher I am becoming and I avoid getting immersed in the "game of school" at all costs. When I was in high school, I played that game well, so now it is easy for me to spot students that are doing the same. Although I am satisfied with the teacher I am right now, I know I can improved, learn more, and be better. Everyday I learn something new. Whether it's how to handle a certain situation, a classroom management technique, or how to conduct a new type of activity; I am continually trying new things.
Immediately after I do a lesson, my CTs have me write down what went well, and what could be improved. Then, if I can, I improve them right away. For example, I realized I could have set a worksheet/activity more efficently, so I went back and revised and saved it right then, that way I would have it for next time. This skill is something that helps me improve.
I feel that I need to work on classroom management. I am confortable with content, how I teach the material, and with what the students are learning. I feel that I am improving on my classroom management, but I know I can do better. I also feel that having great classroom management skills is something that comes with time and experience.
As this semester is at its midpoint, I do see the teacher that I started out wanting to be. I wanted to be a teacher that is able to make a connection with his students. I would also like to foster a mutual respect with the students without necessarily wanting to be their friend. I feeling that I am able to create a level of enthusiasm for science that echoes my interest.
I am very satisfied that I am finally teaching. I hope that I can continue this enthusiasm for many years to come (until I retire). I hope that is not just wishful thinking.
Some of the areas in which I feel I am excelling include opening the lecture, incorporating analogies that relate to my instruction, and fostering a environment that values mutual respect. I think that all these points have one thing in common, keep the student perspective in mind. I see the students as young adults, not out of control teenagers. It is my perspective that allows me to treat them with respect and actively think about them as I create my daily plans for instruction.
An area of improvement includes controlling student behavior. I feel that if I stop my instruction just to start the overhead projector, the students will take this opportunity to talk. Once this happens, I need to waste time trying to refocus their attention back to my instruction. I am trying to find different strategies that will prevent these situations as well as better deal with these situations if they appear. I am talking to my CT, as well as other teachers from other disciplines regarding how to control student behavior.